Dancing their way through retirement

Mother and daughter dancing duo are helping residents in so many ways

Christine and her husband Geoff made the move from South Australia to the Redlands when they were in their 50’s.

“We left all our old school friends and family friends and headed east,” said Christine. To build friendships and stay active the couple joined an over 50’s club and went riding and walking. Christine and their daughter Jacqui also started dancing at various groups throughout the Redlands.

“In his 70’s Geoff said he was starting to feel lonely, so we began attending different functions at Renaissance Retirement Living in Victoria Point.

“The residents at Renaissance were so warm, welcoming and friendly, we eventually decided to move there.”

Exploring dancing for fun and fitness

Christine wanted to continue dancing so she and Jacqui, who lives close by, thought they would offer dance classes at Renaissance. They decided to start with Egyptian belly dancing!

“It was a big leap of faith,” admits Christine. “We didn’t know what retired people thought of belly dancing. We had a large group show up for the first session with one lady confessing ‘We’re not joining. We just came for a sticky beak.’ Fortunately, many came back, and we now have regulars who dance with us every week.”

The group has evolved to include many styles of dancing including Latin American, jazz, Spanish and Middle Eastern. According to Christine, if anyone hears some nice music and wants to dance to it, she and Jacqui will try and include it. As far as they know, the group is still the only belly dance group in any retirement village.

Jacqui does 90 percent of the teaching and the duo have been joined by a lady who taught tap dancing down the Gold Coast for 25 years. She’s moved to Renaissance and is now running tap dancing classes for the residents.

The dance classes at Renaissance are held twice a week and the men are welcome too!

“We asked a fella if he would like to do djembe drumming for the class. He replied, “I love dancing’ and has since handed in his drums and comes regularly to dance class.’ He said he did ballet for 16 years when he was young but hadn’t danced since then.”

The benefits of dancing for retirees

Christine is quick to advocate the many health benefits dancing can bring. “It’s a very evocative way to express your emotions. It’s interactive, builds confidence, helps give a positive self-image, especially for overweight people, and through the classes, wonderful friendships blossom. Dancing makes you feel good!”

Studies have shown dancing to have numerous impactful health benefits including better cardiovascular health, improved bone health, weight management, better cognition, greater strength and endurance, increased energy levels and improved flexibility, agility, and balance. As well, dancing lifts your spirits and gives you the opportunity to connect with people and increase your social circle.

Dancing is a low-impact, gentle, painless, and fun way to exercise, that engages both the mind and body in an enjoyable way. Most people forget they’re even exercising! Christine has certainly noticed the positive changes in people who’ve come along to dance classes.

“There was a lady who came in a buggy with her wheelie walker. She started at first just sitting in a chair and moving her hands and feet to the music. She progressed to standing and holding a chair, and by the end of the year she walked up the stairs to the stage and did three dances with us! She said doing the exercises also enabled her to play lawn bowls, something she hadn’t done in years.

Jacqui and Christine adjust the dancing to suit people’s individual limits so that everyone can get involved. Even just moving to the music without doing any dancing can help brain function – learning new dance patterns have been shown as one of the leading things you can do to prevent dementia. Strengthening core muscles through dance can also increase your balance and prevent falls.

“We have people come along who haven’t danced before. They comment on how the dancing helps them get (and stay) toned which supports them in other exercises or sports they do. Some people who attend say they especially love the warm-up and cool-down exercises and rely on them to keep them supple.”

Christine said she has personally experienced the ongoing benefits that dancing brings to other areas of her life.

“I’m 80 and dancing has definitely helped keep me stay toned and has supported my memory function. I play bowls, table tennis, and croquet as well as swimming. I enjoy art and mah-jong. Personally, dancing give me a purpose. It’s beautiful to see people get so much from our classes. It’s said that dancing is art from the heart. We have residents who say they don’t want to miss a class.”

Once a year the dance group is joined by three other groups outside the community for a show called ‘Midday at the Oasis.’ Friends and family come to watch them perform five dances they’ve learnt throughout the year.

As for Christine’s husband Geoff, he doesn’t come dancing but says he’s now so busy attending some of the 60 activities on offer at Renaissance that he’s never bored!

Staying connected in your retirement

At Renaissance Retirement Living we recognise the importance of keeping social, whether that’s dancing or joining in one of the many activities you’ll find on our weekly calendar. Like Christine, our residents find common interests to share that benefit them in so many ways. Retirement should be the best time of your life!

Come visit our wonderfully social community and meet some of our residents. Call us on (07) 3820 7700 or contact us today to attend one of our upcoming information sessions.